Ohio State Firefighters’ Association Legislative Status Report

As of February 29, 2008

Prepared By: Selsam Management

HB3 ESTATE TAXES (LATTA, R) To eliminate the state portion of the estate tax.
Current Status:  Pending in House Ways and Means Committee
Association Position:  The Association will follow this Bill for informational purposes only.

HB4 LOCAL GOVERNMENTS (WOLPERT, L) Gives the state's portion of the estate tax to local municipalities.
Current Status:  Pending in House Ways and Means Committee
Association Position:  The Association will follow this Bill for informational purposes only.

HB8 STATE RETIREMENT SYSTEMS (HAGAN, R) To crack down on felons taking advantage of Ohio's five state retirement systems.
Current Status:  Pending in Senate Judiciary-Criminal Justice Committee
Association Position:  The Association supports this Bill as we agree that those to violate the public trust should not benefit from a public employees pension fund.

HB45 WILD/EXOTIC ANIMALS (DISTEL, G) To require persons who possess dangerous wild animals or exotic animals to obtain a personal possession permit.
Current Status:  Pending in House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee
Association Position:  The Association supports this Bill as we believe that such a registration will provide information that will allow for emergency service providers to be aware of the presence of such animals in the event they are called.

HB67 TRANSPORTATION BUDGET (PATTON, T) To make appropriations pertaining to transportation purposes.
Current Status:  SIGNED BY GOVERNOR; effective 7/1/07
Association Position:  The Association is disappointed that additional funding was not provided for the Division of Emergency Medical Services in the Department of Public Safety as we believe that the need for additional funding will become a reality during this biennium.  With this exception the Association had no objection with this Budget.

HB72 BROADBAND AND WIRELESS TELECOMMUNICATIONS (EVANS, C) To create the Broadband and Wireless Telecommunications Task Force.
Current Status:  Pending in House Public Utilities Committee
Association Position:  The Association will follow this Bill for informational purposes only.

HB78 JCARR RULES (BLESSING, L) Make officers of committee limited, ex-officio JCARR members during consideration of certain committee legislation.
Current Status:  Pending in House State Government and Elections Committee
Association Position:  The Association will follow this Bill for informational purposes only.

HB88 CARBON MONOXIDE DETECTORS (DOMENICK, J) Require carbon monoxide detectors installed in each residential dwelling.
Current Status:  Pending in House Commerce and Labor Committee
Association Position:  The Association supports this Bill as we believe that the installation of such detectors is the in the best interest of public safety.

HB119 BIENNIAL BUDGET (DOLAN, M) Make operating appropriations for the biennium.
Current Status:  SIGNED BY GOVERNOR; effective 7/1/07
Association Position:  The Association is disappointed that a full appropriation of available funds for the State Fire Marshal is not included in this Budget proposal.  The Association Legislative Committee recommends that the Association Officers, in cooperation with the other member organizations of the Ohio Fire Alliance, continue to pursue additional funding for the activities and programs of the State Fire Marshal and the Ohio Fire Academy. 

HB132 UNLAWFUL PROPERTY BURNING (HUGHES, J) To create the offense of unlawful property burning.
Current Status:  Pending in House Criminal Justice Committee
Association Position:  The Association supports this Bill as we believe that the public’s safety requires that such burning be eliminated.

HB147 LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE MINUTES (DYER, S) Require expanded minutes or transcribed records of legislative committee meetings.
Current Status:  Pending in State Government and Elections Committee
Association Position:  The Association opposes this Bill as we believe that the requirement that testimony before the committees of the General Assembly be sworn with the possible charge of perjury will have a chilling impact on the willingness to testify on issues pending before the General Assembly.

HB212 AMBULANCE DRIVERS (CARMICHAEL, J) Modify staffing requirements for ambulances during emergency runs and while transporting patients, and require minimum standards for ambulance drivers.
Current Status:  Awaiting House Vote
Association Position:  The Association opposes this Bill as it has been recommended by the House Committee as we believe that it is not in the public’s best interest to allow for the transport of patients by those with lesser levels of certification without the appropriate protocols being established by the transporting agencies Medical Director.  It is noted that the Ohio Fire Alliance provided the sponsor of this Bill with recommended language to achieve the objective to the Bill while addressing our concerns. 

HB240 PUPLIC RETIREES (GOODWIN, B) Regarding employment of retired members of the Public Employees Retirement System, School Employees Retirement System, State Teachers Retirement System, and Ohio Police and Fire Pension Fund.
Current Status:  Pending in House Financial Institutions, Real Estate and Securities Committee
Association Position:  The Association opposes this Bill as it relates to fire officials as we believe that it is unfair to penalize those who have served the citizens of Ohio in a position of public trust and responsibility.

HB249 MEDICAL TRANSPORTAION REIMBURSEMENT (MCGREGOR, R) To modify the Medicaid program’s reimbursement rate for medical transportation services.
Current States:  Pending in House Finance and Appropriations Committee
Association Position:  The Association will follow this Bill for informational purposes only.

HB270 STATE RETIREES (SCHNEIDER, M) Member of State Retirement Systems who retires and then returns to public employment in the same position will not receive a pension while earning a salary for that employment.
Current Status:  Pending in House Financial Institutions, Real Estate and Securities Committee
Association Position:  The Association Legislative Committee has not considered this Bill at this time.

HB272 9-1-1 CALLS (PATTON, T) Prohibit broadcasting an actual 9-1-1 call that has been made available as a public record.
Current Status:  Pending in House Infrastructure, Homeland Security and Veterans Affairs Committee
Association Position:  The Association Legislative Committee has not considered this Bill at this time.

HB371 TOWNSHIP FIRE DEPARTMENTS (FLOWERS, L) Modify coverage of the Public Employees' Collective Bargaining Law with respect to township fire departments.
Current Status:  Pending in House State Government and Elections
Association Position:  The Association Legislative Committee has not considered this Bill at this time, but this is an issue that was agreed upon as an Alliance Priority Issue prior to the beginning of this General Assembly.              

HB373 RADIOACTIVE SHIPMENTS (SKINDELL, M) Require person shipping certain radioactive material within or through this state to provide the Emergency Management Agency with notice of the shipment and pay Public Safety a fee for each shipment.
Current Status:  Pending in Economic Development and Environment Committee
Association Position:  The Association Legislative Committee has not considered this Bill at this time.                     

HB380 WORKER RECORDS (COLEY, W) Require commercial or public entity to maintain records regarding each worker who performs services for that entity and to establish penalties for failure to maintain those records.
Current Status:  Pending in House Civil and Commercial Law Committee
Association Position:  The Association Legislative Committee has not considered this Bill at this time.

HB425 TEXT MESSAGING/DRIVING (FESSLER, D) To prohibit driving a vehicle while text messaging or typing on a mobile communication device and to establish the violation as a secondary traffic offense.
Current Status:  Pending In House Infrastructure, Homeland Security and Veterans Affairs
Association Position:  The Association Legislative Committee has not considered this Bill at this time.                     

HB431 FIREFIGHTER /EMS DISABILITIES (PATTON, T) To provide that a firefighter or emergency medical services worker who is disabled as a result of cancer or certain contagious or infectious diseases is presumed for purposes of the laws governing workers' compensation and the Ohio Police and Fire Pension Fund to have incurred the disease while performing official duties as a firefighter or emergency medical services worker.
Current Status:  Pending In House Commerce and Labor
Association Position:  The Association Legislative Committee has not considered this Bill at this time.

HB476 CARBON MONOXIDE ALARMS (REINHARD, S) To require owners of single-family and multifamily dwellings that utilize fossil fuels for heating or other purposes to have carbon monoxide alarms installed in those dwellings.
Current Status:  Pending in House State Government and Elections Committee
Association Position:  The Association Legislative Committee has not considered this specific Bill at this time however we have established a position of support for as similar Bill in HB88.                     

HB479 POLICE/FIRE PENSION BOARD (EVANS, C) Regarding the election of the chairperson of the Ohio Police and Fire Pension Board of Trustees.
Current Status:  Pending in House Financial Institutions, Real Estate and Securities Committee
Association Position:  The Association Legislative Committee has not considered this Bill at this time.                      

HB485 SAFE HAVENS LAW (DEGEETER, T) To increase the number of hours after birth that a parent may voluntarily deliver the child to a safe haven without the parent expressing an intent to return for the child and to include awareness of the Safe Haven Law in the health curriculum prescribed for high school students.
Current Status:  Introduced
Association Position:  The Association Legislative Committee has not considered this Bill at this time.                      

HB491 RESIDENTIAL BUILDING SAFETY STANDARDS (CHANDLER, K) To require fire extinguishers and carbon monoxide detectors in residential buildings and residential units, to direct the Board of Building Standards to adopt rules that establish product and installation standards for fire extinguishers and carbon monoxide detectors, to require transferors of residential real property to disclose whether fire extinguishers and carbon monoxide detectors are installed in their property, and to prohibit a transferor of residential real property from entering into a transfer agreement unless fire extinguishers and carbon monoxide detectors are installed as the bill requires.
Current Status:  Introduced
Association Position:  The Association Legislative Committee has not considered this Bill at this time but like HB476 has established a position of support for a similar Bill in HB88.  

SB27 BOOSTER SEATS (KEARNEY, E) Require certain children between four and eight years of age to be secured in a booster seat.
Current Status:  Pending in Senate Highways and Transportation Committee
Association Position:  The Association supports this Bill as we are most aware of the injuries suffered by children when they are not properly restrained during an automobile accident.

SB43 AMBULANCE STAFFING (CAREY, JR., J) Modify the ambulance staffing and personnel certification requirements for emergency medical service organizations that are volunteers.
Current Status:  Pending in Senate Health, Human Services and Aging Committee
Association Position:  The Association opposes this Bill as introduced as we do not believe it is in the best interest of the citizens of Ohio to allow untested individuals to practice as EMTs or Paramedics.   .  

SB129 ROADWAY REMOVAL OF DAMAGED VEHICLES (SCHAFFER, T) Permit local law enforcement to remove damaged vehicles from the roadway.
Current Status:  Pending in Senate Judiciary - Civil Justice Committee
Association Position:  The Association supports this Bill as it will provide protection for fire service personnel when it is necessary to remove a vehicle from the roadway.

SB177 9-1-1 CALLS (SAWYER, T) To prohibit billing or other administrative activities regarding a 9-1-1 call until the emergency is stabilized.
Current Status:  Pending in Senate State and Local Government and Veterans Affairs Committee
Association Position:  The Association will follow this Bill for informational purposes only.